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★★★★ Kilimani · Nairobi
The Ndemi Place
Hotel
General
General
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The Ndemi Place

Ndemi Close Kilimani Ndemi Closenairobi 00508, Nairobi, Kenya

Staying in Kilimani? The Ndemi Place offers dependable 4-star quality and puts Nairobi National Park and central Nairobi within easy reach.

From here, Nairobi's main attractions — including Nairobi National Park — are an easy walk or short ride away, so you spend less time in transit and more time exploring.

Rates shift with the season and with demand, so the live price on the booking page is always the one to trust — tap through for tonight's or your dates' real availability.

Key facts

Class
4-star
Area
Kilimani
Address
Ndemi Close Kilimani Ndemi Closenairobi 00508, Nairobi, Kenya

What’s included

24 Hour Front Desk 24H. Security Air conditioning Banquet Bars Buffet Copy Dry cleaning service Family rooms Free Wifi Free car parking Garden

Best time to visit Nairobi, month by month

The best months for Nairobi are January, February, September and October: dry, clear, daytime highs around 26–28°C, and good game viewing in Nairobi National Park while the grass is short. April and May are the long rains, the wettest stretch of the year, and hotel rates across Westlands, Kilimani and Upper Hill typically fall 25–40% below their January level. June marks the switch: the rain stops and the cold arrives. July and August are the surprise — Nairobi sits at 1,795 m and those two months are grey and cold, with nights near 10–13°C, even though they are peak safari season nationally and rates climb with Maasai Mara and Amboseli traffic.

Late October to early December brings the short rains, which usually mean an afternoon downpour rather than a washed-out day, and it is one of the better value windows of the year. Prices spike three times: mid-December to 2 January around Jamhuri Day on 12 December and New Year, Easter week, and any week the UN Environment Programme runs a major assembly at its Gigiri headquarters, which empties Gigiri, Muthaiga and Westlands of rooms at short notice. The Nairobi International Trade Fair at Jamhuri Park in late September and rugby's Safari Sevens also tighten mid-range supply for a few days. Book six to eight weeks out for December and July; two weeks is usually plenty for April or May.

Getting around Nairobi and coming in from the airport

From JKIA, a Bolt or Uber to the CBD runs about KSh 1,500–2,500 and to Westlands about KSh 2,000–3,500, plus the Nairobi Expressway toll of roughly KSh 300–360 for a saloon car; a hotel-arranged transfer is usually KSh 3,500–6,000. The Expressway runs above Mombasa Road from Mlolongo to James Gichuru Road in Lavington and turns a 90-minute crawl into 25–30 minutes, which is the single most useful thing to know about arriving here. Matatu route 34 links JKIA to the city centre for around KSh 100, but it is slow and awkward with luggage. Wilson Airport, on Langata Road, is the one you want for Safarilink and AirKenya departures to Nanyuki, Amboseli and the Mara, and it is only 8 km from Karen but a punishing 12 km from Westlands at 06:30.

Inside the city, app taxis do almost everything: CBD to Westlands is about KSh 400–700, Kilimani to Gigiri KSh 700–1,200. You do not need a hire car for Nairobi itself, and driving in the Waiyaki Way and Ngong Road rush hours (roughly 06:30–09:30 and 16:30–19:30) is a poor use of a holiday. You do want a vehicle, ideally a 4x4 with a driver, for Nairobi National Park, where the black-cotton tracks turn greasy in April and May. For longer trips, the SGR Madaraka Express leaves Nairobi Terminus at Syokimau for Mombasa in economy at about KSh 1,000, and the A104 covers the 90 km to Naivasha in around two hours and the 160 km to Nakuru in about three.

How many nights in Nairobi, and a first-timer's itinerary

Three nights is the sensible minimum for Nairobi and five lets you add a park trip without rushing. Day one: be at the Langata Road main gate of Nairobi National Park at 06:00 for a three-hour drive over its 117 km² of plains, then the David Sheldrick orphanage feeding, the Giraffe Centre and the Karen Blixen Museum, all within a few kilometres of each other in Karen and Langata. Day two: the Nairobi National Museum and Snake Park on Museum Hill, the Railway Museum near the old station, and Bomas of Kenya off Forest Edge Road, finishing with dinner in Westlands or Kilimani. Day three is for the Maasai Market, which rotates by day of the week — Village Market in Gigiri on Friday, Yaya Centre in Kilimani on Sunday — plus whatever you missed.

With five to seven nights, keep two or three nights in the city and run one trip out. Naivasha at 90 km is the easiest: Hell's Gate on a hired bicycle, a walking safari on Crescent Island, and back the same evening if you must. Nakuru at 160 km gives you Lake Nakuru National Park, its rhino and its flamingos; Nyeri and the Aberdares at about 150 km suit a cooler, forested overnight; and Nanyuki at 200 km is the base for Ol Pejeta and the Sirimon route up Mount Kenya, worth two nights minimum. Machakos and Kajiado work as single days out of Nairobi rather than stays, unless you are pushing on to Amboseli.

Questions, answered

Where is The Ndemi Place located?
The Ndemi Place is in Kilimani, Nairobi (Ndemi Close Kilimani Ndemi Closenairobi 00508, Nairobi, Kenya), close to Nairobi National Park.
How much does The Ndemi Place cost per night?
Prices are set live by the hotel — check the booking page for a real rate for your dates.
How many stars is The Ndemi Place?
The Ndemi Place is a 4-star hotel in Nairobi.
How do I get from JKIA to my hotel in Nairobi?
Take a Bolt or Uber from the JKIA arrivals rank, or pre-book a hotel transfer. App fares run about KSh 1,500–2,500 to the CBD and KSh 2,000–3,500 to Westlands or Kilimani, plus a Nairobi Expressway toll of roughly KSh 300–360 for a saloon car; hotel cars are typically KSh 3,500–6,000. The Expressway cuts the run to Westlands to about 25–30 minutes against well over an hour on the old Mombasa Road at rush hour, so it is worth the toll every time. If you are connecting to a safari flight, note that Wilson Airport is a separate airport on Langata Road, about 45 minutes from JKIA.
Do I need to hire a car in Nairobi?
No — app taxis cover the city cheaply, with CBD to Westlands at about KSh 400–700 and Kilimani to Gigiri at KSh 700–1,200. Self-driving in Nairobi means left-hand traffic, aggressive matatus and the 06:30–09:30 and 16:30–19:30 jams on Ngong Road and Waiyaki Way. What you do want is a 4x4 with a driver for Nairobi National Park and for any run to Naivasha, Nakuru or Nanyuki, generally KSh 12,000–20,000 a day including fuel. For Mombasa, skip the road entirely and take the Madaraka Express from Nairobi Terminus at Syokimau.
Is Nairobi better for families or for couples?
Nairobi works well for both, but the areas differ. Families do best in Karen and Langata, where hotels have gardens, the Giraffe Centre and Sheldrick orphanage are minutes away and the 117 km² of Nairobi National Park is a short drive rather than a full safari transfer. Couples tend to prefer Westlands, Kilimani or Gigiri for restaurants, rooftop bars and easy access to Village Market and Yaya Centre. Ask specifically about interconnecting rooms and cots: many Nairobi properties charge for a third bed but let under-12s share free, and park entry for children is lower than the adult rate at every KWS gate.
What should I book in advance in Nairobi?
Book the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust orphanage visit ahead — the daily public slot at 11:00 sells out and is not a walk-up — and reserve safari flights from Wilson Airport to Nanyuki or the Mara well in advance in July and August. Hotel rooms need six to eight weeks' notice for mid-December to 2 January and for any week the UN complex in Gigiri hosts a major assembly. Park fees for Nairobi National Park and Lake Nakuru are paid cashless via eCitizen, so sort that before you reach the gate. Restaurant tables in Westlands on a Friday night are worth a call, but almost everything else in Nairobi can be arranged the same week.
What is a typical nightly hotel rate in Nairobi?
Most visitors pay KSh 8,000–15,000 a night in Nairobi for a solid three- or four-star room with breakfast, generator back-up and secure parking. Below that, KSh 3,500–6,000 gets a clean guesthouse in Parklands or the CBD; above it, KSh 28,000–65,000 buys the five-star tier in Westlands, Gigiri, Upper Hill or Karen. Remember the 16% VAT and 2% catering levy that many hotels add to net rates at checkout. Weekends are the bargain here rather than the premium, with Friday to Sunday often 20–30% cheaper in business districts like Upper Hill.

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